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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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468
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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — of the year
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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