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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — of the year
  22. roll — a cake
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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