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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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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 · present · toast · chest · bay · bowl · ruler · mouse

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. track — a song
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. track — a path
  8. chest — a box
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. present — the time now
  22. toast — bread
  23. present — a gift
  24. toast — the most admired

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