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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — electric
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. current — happening now
  11. file — a tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — in football
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bear — to put up with

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