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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. object — to protest
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — an aim
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. object — a thing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — hurry

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