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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: firm · game · date · rash · bay · roll · track · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. 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. bound — tied together
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — decided
  5. roll — a list
  6. track — a path
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — wild animals
  9. date — the fruit
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — obliged
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a match
  15. firm — steady
  16. track — a song
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. firm — a company
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. 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