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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — a path
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — ground
  16. present — a gift
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — after costs
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. suit — in cards
  23. land — to come down
  24. bear — the animal

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