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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cue — a signal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a path
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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