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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — electric
  4. last — finally
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. current — happening now
  9. last — to go on
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. band — a music group
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — final
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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