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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — a song
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — the earth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ground — a position
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. racket — a loud noise

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