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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chest — a box
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chest — of your body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fine — a penalty

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