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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a friend
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — in music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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