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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — to protest
  16. tube — a container
  17. spell — letters
  18. object — an aim
  19. spell — a short time
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — to bear
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ball — a round shape

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