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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — a song
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — there
  12. spell — letters
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. present — a gift
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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