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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spring — of water
  7. mug — a cup
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — the season
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a line of people
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mug — to rob
  24. swing — in golf

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