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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. last — to go on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — with a 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