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

Word bank: bay · lash · mine · racket · pit · cabinet · swing · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — to play on
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — for digging
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. track — a path
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. swing — music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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