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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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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — hurry
  4. last — final
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — for pool
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. last — finally
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — a container
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — in golf

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