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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chest — a box
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a song
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. last — finally
  22. ball — a dance
  23. patient — a sick person
  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