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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. object — an aim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — a break
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a great time

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