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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. court — for sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — to sink
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of law
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to dunk

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