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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wake — a trail
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rash — a series
  12. dip — to sink
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — to fit
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. suit — in cards
  18. march — music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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