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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — to protest
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. track — a path
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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