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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — music
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — in control
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. track — a song
  24. season — of the year

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