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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 124 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — completely
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. ground — the earth
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. date — the fruit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. can — to be able to
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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