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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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