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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a path
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — to shout
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — a break
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — of water

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