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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — to play on
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fall — the season

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