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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — a path
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — a song
  15. suit — clothes
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. suit — in cards
  18. racket — for tennis

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