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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — to come down
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. land — ground
  24. racket — for tennis

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