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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — hasty
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pop — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pop — soda
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. track — to keep track

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