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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — in cards
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bass — the fish
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — a skill
  7. field — farmland
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. field — a subject
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. craft — boats
  24. bore — gave birth

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