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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — a container
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — help
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — the underground

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