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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. object — a thing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — a song
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — a short time
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spell — magic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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