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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bark — to shout
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — of water

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