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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. hand — in cards
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — the most important part
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mark — a grade
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — a trace

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