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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kick — in football
  24. fine — a penalty

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