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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. snap — to click
  8. rest — a break
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mug — a face
  11. field — farmland
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — what's left
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. field — for sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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