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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — all right
  3. can — to be able to
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — employees
  9. cold — an illness
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — soda
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cold — not warm
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pop — to visit

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