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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 120 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: pass · track · mouse · prune · racket · bay · pit · row

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. track — a path
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. track — a song
  14. pit — in a race
  15. prune — to trim
  16. row — a line
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pass — a permit
  24. prune — to trim

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