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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. track — a song
  7. swing — to play on
  8. net — after costs
  9. lean — thin
  10. object — a thing
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. object — an aim
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chip — for betting
  21. swing — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. track — a path
  24. net — in sport

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