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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. squash — the sport
  4. track — a song
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a grade
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mark — a trace
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — to crush

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