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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mark — a trace
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a grade
  8. shower — rain
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wound — an injury
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. scale — in music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pit — in a race
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wound — an injury

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