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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chest — a box
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chest — of your body

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