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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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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: net · present · track · craft · bat · fan · ruler · mug

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. craft — boats
  4. track — to keep track
  5. net — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. bat — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. track — a song
  19. mug — a face
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. present — a gift
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

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