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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. spell — magic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — a partner
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bark — to shout
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — letters

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