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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — in sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mug — a face
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. last — final
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — a hint
  21. last — to go on
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mug — to rob
  24. suit — to fit

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