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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. swing — music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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