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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — a series
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cue — for pool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cue — a signal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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