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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — a song
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — after costs
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. charge — a price
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bat — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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