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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — in music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. hand — in cards
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. land — a country
  24. key — for a lock

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