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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. current — electric
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. race — a contest
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — the arms race
  12. current — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. current — happening now
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ball — a great time

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