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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. track — a path
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — a break
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — hasty

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