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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bass — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — low music
  14. track — a song
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rule — a law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — government
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — the instrument

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