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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — child
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — to play on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. swing — in golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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