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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. season — of the year
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. season — in sport
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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