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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rest — a break
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. shower — rain
  15. cap — a hat
  16. shower — to wash
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cue — a hint
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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