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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spell — letters
  24. chip — to eat

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