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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. coach — a trainer

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