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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · wind · key · stick · kid · nail · cap · track

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cap — a hat
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — to tease

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