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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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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — happening now
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — electric
  9. march — music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kid — to tease
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kid — child
  17. bark — to shout
  18. spell — a short time
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — of water

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