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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. firm — decided
  3. mark — a trace
  4. track — a path
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — to keep track
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. capital — a city
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rule — a law
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bore — gave birth

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