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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. track — to keep track
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — electricity
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — a song

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