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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a committee
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — to get on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — a container
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — a position

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