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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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468
Word bank
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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: track · pitcher · snap · ruler · bulb · racket · chip · fine

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to click
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — all right
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a song

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