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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. race — a contest
  3. track — a song
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. race — humankind
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pound — a weight
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — in football
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — to bear
  24. prune — to trim

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