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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — in football
  3. bound — certain
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — a match
  12. cell — a phone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bound — obliged
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in biology

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