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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — to rob
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — steady
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mug — a cup
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chest — a box
  16. mug — a face
  17. track — a song
  18. bat — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. firm — a company
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. firm — decided

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