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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. last — to go on
  3. spring — the season
  4. tube — a container
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. swing — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. last — finally
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — an aim
  13. tube — the underground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — of water
  16. cue — a signal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spring — a coil
  20. last — final
  21. cue — for pool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. object — to protest

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