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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kid — child
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. key — for a lock
  8. perch — the fish
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. capital — money
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — in music

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