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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a path
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. net — for catching
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. net — after costs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — music
  23. track — a song
  24. bear — to put up with

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