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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — a gift
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. present — there
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — the time now
  10. rule — government
  11. fork — in a road
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — a position
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — crushed
  24. game — wild animals

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