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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — soda
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bat — the animal
  24. track — a path

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