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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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Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. foot — a measure
  4. lean — thin
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. snap — to click
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — a country
  12. pit — a hole
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fork — in a road
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — to come down
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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