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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — to breed
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — humankind
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — in control

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