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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. roll — a list
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a hole
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — to handle
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. foot — part of the body

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