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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — final
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. last — finally
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pound — a weight
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — the cause
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a word
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — help
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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