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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — the underground
  5. firm — steady
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. tube — a container
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a dance
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. firm — decided
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. sharp — exactly

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