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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. track — to keep track
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. content — happy
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — a path
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — there

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