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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — magic
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of a king
  13. march — the month
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. leaves — to go away

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