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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — low music
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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