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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — a path
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tube — a container
  6. content — the amount
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lie — to recline
  23. content — happy
  24. racket — for tennis

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