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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. foot — a measure
  3. track — a path
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — a song
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. present — the time now
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — low music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. present — there
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — of a tree

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