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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. track — a path
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — size or range
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cue — for pool
  15. scale — in music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — to go away

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