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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a trace
  6. capital — money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. track — to keep track
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. band — a ring
  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