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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. present — a gift
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a song
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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