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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — for tennis

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