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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mate — to breed
  5. track — a path
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — an aim
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. file — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — a partner
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. object — to protest
  22. file — a document
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bat — in an idiom

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