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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — to come down
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — in football
  5. land — a country
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — the arms race
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rest — a break
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. content — the amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. land — ground
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rash — a series
  24. leaves — lets stay

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