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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bound — obliged
  10. file — a document
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a song
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a tool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. net — after costs
  24. calf — a young animal

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