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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: season · track · leaves · wake · ruler · staff · land · bulb

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. land — a country
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. season — in sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — ground
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. land — to come down
  24. wake — a trail

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