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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. kid — child
  3. mug — a cup
  4. current — electric
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — of your body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — to bear
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — a face
  16. scale — in music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. current — of water
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kid — to tease

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