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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — in cards
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — help
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. sharp — clever
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — a loud noise

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