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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fall — the season
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — to keep track
  7. court — of a king
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a path
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a song
  22. pound — a weight
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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