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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — a face
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — in football
  17. present — there
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ground — the earth
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ground — a position
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. present — the time 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