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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — a law
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. land — a country
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. track — a song
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rule — government
  19. rock — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — a path
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. land — ground
  24. dip — a sauce

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