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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chest — a box
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — a gift
  9. last — finally
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a great time

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