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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — a match
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — a country
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. land — ground
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — a path
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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