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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. game — wild animals
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — clever
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — a trail
  12. game — a match
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — for tennis

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