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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lean — thin
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — humankind
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — a path
  13. race — a contest
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — the arms race
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. track — a song
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lean — to bend

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