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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · bay · chair · cell · firm · rest

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. track — a path
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. firm — steady
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rest — a break
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. firm — decided
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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