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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. content — the amount
  8. drill — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — army training
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — a practice
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — music
  22. content — happy
  23. swing — in golf
  24. deal — to handle

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