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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — a measure
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — music
  11. rest — a break
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — to fit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — a coil
  24. suit — 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