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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — clothes
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. object — a thing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. net — for catching
  10. bat — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — to protest
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. object — an aim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wind — moving air
  23. net — after costs
  24. calf — of the leg

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