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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. race — humankind
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — magic
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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