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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a song
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. track — to keep track
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. club — a group
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. track — a path
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — of law
  18. club — for golf
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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