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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spring — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — of water
  15. lean — to bend
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — thin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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