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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — to keep track
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — a box
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — the amount
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — all right
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — a loud noise

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