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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. track — a song
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — a hole
  10. drill — a practice
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pit — in a race

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