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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rock — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. squash — the sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. track — to keep track

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