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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a path
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hand — help
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — happy
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — the amount
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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