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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. kid — child
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — a safe
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. clip — to cut
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. date — the fruit

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