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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — final
  4. key — in music
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitch — completely
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — finally
  23. key — the most important part
  24. can — a tin

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