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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. key — for a lock
  3. can — to be able to
  4. track — a path
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a song
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hand — help
  24. ball — a dance

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