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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. track — a song
  7. wake — a trail
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — child
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. track — to keep track
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — to come down
  24. track — a path

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