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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — all right
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — letters
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — an aim
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — a position
  23. object — a thing
  24. fine — high quality

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