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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — letters
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spell — magic
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — of water
  24. swing — music

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