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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rash — a series
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spring — the season
  18. mate — a friend
  19. firm — steady
  20. track — a path
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a song
  24. coach — a trainer

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