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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — a face
  6. bank — of a river
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — a song
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. track — a path
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — to spend time

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