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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rest — a break
  10. march — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bass — the fish
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stand — for spectators

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