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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 116 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: bay · game · wound · track · season · straw · stand · bulb

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — a match
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — a path
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — in sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — of the year
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — to add flavour

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