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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. hand — help
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. current — electric
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — to protest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — happening now
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. hand — in cards

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