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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. swing — to play on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pass — to spend time

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