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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: fall · last · track · fine · bay · club · wake · suit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — a trail
  3. track — a path
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — for golf
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fine — all right
  11. last — finally
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — the season
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. suit — to fit
  18. club — a group
  19. last — to go on
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. last — final
  22. club — for dancing
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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