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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a path
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fine — all right
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — high quality

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