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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. net — after costs
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rash — a series
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — hasty

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