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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: pitcher · wake · safe · racket · deal · track · wound · date

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — to handle
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — a path
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. deal — a big deal

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