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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — for catching
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. swing — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — a song
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — to keep track
  20. net — after costs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — in sport

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