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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — steady
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — a face
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — a video
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. clip — for paper
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — a permit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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