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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: foot · file · bore · pop · cell · suit · track · snap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — to fit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. snap — to click
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a document
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. foot — a measure
  24. file — a tool

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