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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — ground
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. land — to come down
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — a trail
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — a country
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. swing — to play on

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