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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — low music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bass — the fish
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — goods
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — a path
  15. tear — to rip
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a song
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — for catching
  24. bass — the instrument

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