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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. track — a song
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — a thrill
  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