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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. object — a thing
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. object — to protest
  18. hand — help
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. mouse — the animal

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