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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.

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: straw · deal · foot · track · season · mouse · racket · rash

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — a series
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. track — a path
  8. season — of the year
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. track — a song
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — hasty
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. racket — for tennis

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