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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. net — in sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. net — for catching
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. net — after costs
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. foot — a measure

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