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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: tear · racket · pit · key · deal · plane · track · pop

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. track — a path
  6. pit — in a race
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pop — soda
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — to visit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. track — a song
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — music
  24. deal — to handle

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