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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
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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: present · wound · track · bear · fan · roll · staff · bass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. bass — the fish
  6. track — a path
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — low music
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — a gift
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fan — a supporter

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