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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — ground
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pop — to visit
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — to come down
  18. key — in music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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