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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bore — to tire
  7. track — to keep track
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — a group
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a path
  24. hand — help

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