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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hand — help
  9. club — a group
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — electricity
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. track — a path
  14. march — the month
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. march — music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — a price

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