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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mark — a grade
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — in cards
  5. face — part of the head
  6. race — a contest
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hand — help
  13. face — to point toward
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — to confront
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — steady
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — to keep track
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. prune — to trim

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