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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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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: safe · racket · deal · track · mine · mouse · straw · stand

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stand — on your feet

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