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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bark — to shout
  8. snap — to click
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. game — wild animals
  15. charge — a price
  16. stand — to bear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. charge — in control
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — electricity

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