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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — crushed
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. snap — to click
  13. track — a song
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — a position
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitch — completely

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