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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young 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