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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — a break
  5. lean — thin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. march — the month
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — a path
  15. rock — a stone
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mug — to rob
  20. march — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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