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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — ministers

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