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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lean — thin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — a container
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mate — a friend
  23. net — for catching
  24. chip — for betting

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