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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — a song
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. row — a line
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. present — the time now

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