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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ground — the earth
  18. snap — to click
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of a car

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