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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. net — after costs
  5. row — a line
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a face
  9. vault — a safe
  10. row — to paddle
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mug — a cup
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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