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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — electric
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. deal — to handle
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. current — happening now

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