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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cue — for pool
  12. object — to protest
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. object — an aim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — in a road

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