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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — a position
  6. key — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — for a lock

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