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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — a partner
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. season — in sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — of the year
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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