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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — a company
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. firm — steady
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. firm — decided
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — a face
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — a gift
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. present — there
  22. object — to protest
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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