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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. file — a document
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mug — a cup
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — a song
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chest — a box
  17. mug — a face
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chest — of your body

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