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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — for catching
  4. object — an aim
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. net — in sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. object — a thing
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. court — for sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. pass — a permit

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