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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — a container
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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