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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rock — music
  12. rash — a series
  13. rock — a stone
  14. roll — a list
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. toast — bread
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bat — the animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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