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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — a match
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — a permit

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