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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a song
  5. object — a thing
  6. present — there
  7. roll — a cake
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — the time now
  10. object — an aim
  11. bass — low music
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — a gift
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — a path
  19. roll — a list
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — to protest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. roll — on a roll

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