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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rest — what's left

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