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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. field — for sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. field — farmland
  7. row — a line
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — to paddle
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. board — a committee
  23. field — a subject
  24. can — a tin

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