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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — to recline
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. date — the fruit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. jam — in traffic

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