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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — in music
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — for pool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — of a plant

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