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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — a series
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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