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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — for paper
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — decided
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — steady
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a song
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. clip — a video
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — to keep track
  24. firm — a company

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