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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — in sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stand — to bear
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mug — a face
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — of the year
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. racket — for tennis

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