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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — the earth
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ground — crushed
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spring — a coil
  22. track — a song
  23. spring — the season
  24. bound — tied together

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