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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. last — to go on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — final
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  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