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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a hole
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — music
  8. board — to get on
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pop — soda
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a committee

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