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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. land — a country
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cue — a signal

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