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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. suit — clothes
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — to bear
  7. deal — to handle
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a partner
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a line
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — to breed
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — a quarrel

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