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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. track — to keep track
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — to fit
  8. file — a document
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of a king
  11. track — a path
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. suit — clothes
  14. court — of law
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. field — farmland
  24. court — for sport

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