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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — of water
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — electricity
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — help
  18. spell — letters
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — the season
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hand — part of the body

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