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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — a division
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — to handle
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mug — to rob
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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