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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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 — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — a company
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a song
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — hasty
  10. band — a ring
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — a series
  15. firm — steady
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — letters
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — a short time
  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