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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — for baseball

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