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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — goods
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fork — in a road
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fork — a garden tool

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