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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — a gift
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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