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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rock — a stone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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