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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pitch — completely
  3. band — a music group
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lean — thin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rule — government
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — a song
  22. band — a ring
  23. track — a path
  24. leaves — to go away

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