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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — help
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — letters
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. present — there
  20. hand — in cards
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — part of the body

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