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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. can — to be able to
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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