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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — a short time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — a stone
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — magic
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — to hurry

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