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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — a song
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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