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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — ground
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — of water
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — boats
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — electric
  15. object — an aim
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. object — a thing
  19. fork — in a road
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — to come down
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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