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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. track — a path
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — happening now
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — electric

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