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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fine — all right
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bark — to shout
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a path
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. nail — for a hammer

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