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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — in cards
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — a garden tool

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