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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rock — music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a dance
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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