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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — size or range
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cold — an illness
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — hurry

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