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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — certain
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — help
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — tied together

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