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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — a price
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. track — a song
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — in control
  21. march — the month
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. charge — electricity

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