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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ball — a great time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. scale — in music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — size or range
  19. board — to get on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. track — a path
  23. scale — for weighing
  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