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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — to keep track
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — to rip
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. drill — army training

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