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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — to keep track
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. track — a song
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mug — to rob
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com