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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. last — finally
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to click
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pop — music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — final
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — to go on
  24. rock — a stone

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