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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — farmland
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. current — happening now
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — soda
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — to rob
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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