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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. last — finally
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — rain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fine — all right
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. last — to go on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — to wash

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