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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — a match
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. march — the month
  21. game — wild animals
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stock — goods
  24. suit — to fit

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