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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. toast — bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bear — the animal

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