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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of a king
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — a match
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — wild animals

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