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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. track — a song
  6. face — to confront
  7. march — the month
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. face — to point toward
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bound — tied together

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