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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — a break
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. track — a path
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — a song
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — boats
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. club — a group

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