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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a committee
  16. ground — crushed
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. branch — a division
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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