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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — a law
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bass — low music
  13. net — in sport
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — completely
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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