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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mate — to breed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. key — in music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kick — with a leg

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