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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — in football
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. march — the month

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