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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rash — a series
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — temperature
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — to hit hard

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