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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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. wave — with your hand
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — happening now
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. row — a line
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. current — electric
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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