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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — in sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. net — for catching
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to sink
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — after costs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. season — in sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. season — of the year

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