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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. track — a path
  17. rash — a series
  18. last — to go on
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rash — hasty
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. chair — to sit on

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