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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pass — a permit
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — to be able to
  15. swing — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. file — a document
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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