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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bat — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — to be able to
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bat — in an idiom

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