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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — for golf
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spring — a coil
  7. tear — from crying
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spring — the season
  11. rest — a break
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spring — of water
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. club — for dancing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — a measure
  24. club — a group

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