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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — clothes
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spring — the season
  7. suit — to fit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fork — in a road
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. game — a match
  24. track — a path

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