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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — in sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — obliged
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spell — letters
  20. bound — certain
  21. toast — bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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