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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — to eat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — a break
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chip — for betting
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — to bear
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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