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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — after costs
  8. court — of law
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a path
  20. court — of a king
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — in sport

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