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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. season — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — in control
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — a price
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — part of the body

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