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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. field — for sport
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — thin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ground — the earth
  13. field — farmland
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — a position
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bat — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — for golf

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