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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — a song
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pit — a hole
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a path
  24. firm — steady

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