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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — a cake
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. track — a song
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — the cause
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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