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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stand — to bear
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — a thing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — a path
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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