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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — in sport
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. firm — decided
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — a company
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. season — of the year
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — rain
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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