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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — a partner
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — in music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a friend
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to rest against

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