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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — an aim
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. track — a path
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. object — a thing
  21. squash — the sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. squash — to crush

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