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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a song
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mouse — the animal

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