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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — farmland
  19. chair — a leader
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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