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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — steady
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — a company
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rest — a break
  17. cell — a phone
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — there
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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