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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 120 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: track · wound · bay · rule · cap · leaves · foot · key

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rule — a law
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — in music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — government
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. track — a song

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