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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. content — happy
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — the amount

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