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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mate — a friend
  5. snap — to click
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — the time now
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. present — there
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. present — a gift
  24. racket — for tennis

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