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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — a stone
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — rain
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fine — all right
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ball — a great time
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — a loud noise

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