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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a lid
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rest — a break
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — of ice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a hat
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. board — a committee
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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