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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — a thing
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — an aim
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — to protest
  15. land — ground
  16. track — a path
  17. field — a subject
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bore — to drill
  20. field — for sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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