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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. field — farmland
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — a penalty

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