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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — a path
  6. charge — in control
  7. mark — a grade
  8. charge — a price
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — a trace
  18. snap — to click
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bat — the animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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