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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chest — a box

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