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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — the fruit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. charge — a price
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — a trail

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