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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. object — an aim
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. object — to protest
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — in music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bark — to shout

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