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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. toast — bread
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — a thing
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — a stick
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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