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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. club — a group
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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