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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — a group
  11. cap — a hat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to tire
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bore — to drill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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