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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 120 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: mark · track · leaves · bass · fine · nail · present · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mark — a trace
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — a song
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. present — a gift
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. snap — to click
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. present — the time now

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