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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. firm — a company
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kid — child
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — hurry

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