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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · mine · rash · leaves · roll · track · toast · fine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. track — a path
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fine — high quality
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. roll — a list
  24. pop — music

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