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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — decided
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. scale — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. suit — to fit
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — the season
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — a supporter

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