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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — the time now
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — farmland
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — a gift
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — there
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wound — an injury

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