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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. track — a path
  6. rule — a law
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — a subject
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — a song
  13. rule — government
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. spring — the season
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — for sport
  20. spring — of water
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a committee
  24. temple — side of the head

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