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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bank — of a river
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — to grow
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. craft — boats
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a path
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — a song
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bat — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — a skill

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