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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cold — an illness
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — to roll

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