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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. last — final
  3. object — to protest
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — to go on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. last — finally
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a song
  17. lie — to recline
  18. object — a thing
  19. track — a path
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kid — child

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