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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — in football
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — to keep track
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a document
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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