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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — a country
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — ground
  9. rash — hasty
  10. track — a path
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — a strongbox

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