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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — a song
  5. squash — to crush
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — thin
  8. track — a path
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — to shout
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — to keep track

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