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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — happening now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — with an edge

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