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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bore — to drill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cell — in biology
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cell — a phone
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. track — a path

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