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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ground — the earth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. branch — a division
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — a position
  18. rush — hurry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chest — a box
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — a jug

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