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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 116 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — to keep track
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — the time now
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a path
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a song
  17. present — there
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — a thing
  23. chip — for betting
  24. racket — a loud noise

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