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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. 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. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rock — a stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rock — music
  18. 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