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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — in football
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rash — hasty
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — a lid
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — a gift
  16. cap — of ice
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. present — the time now
  19. cap — a hat
  20. present — there
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fan — a supporter

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