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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — letters
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bowl — a dish

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