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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.

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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. race — a contest
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — music
  24. kick — in football

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