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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — electric
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. current — of water
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — a path
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — a song
  24. row — a line

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