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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. toast — bread
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rash — a series
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — the season
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — a loud noise

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