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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — happy
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cue — a hint
  13. press — a publisher
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cue — a signal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ball — a dance
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — out of danger

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