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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — there
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — a break
  21. present — a gift
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — the time now
  24. ball — a dance

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