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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: kid · game · march · track · bear · can · straw · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — wild animals
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. game — a match
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. march — the month
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. track — a path
  20. march — the month
  21. track — to keep track
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kid — child
  24. game — a kind of play

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