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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. clip — for paper
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. clip — to cut
  8. row — to paddle
  9. clip — a video
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. row — a line
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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