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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — tied together
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — certain
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — obliged
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rush — to hurry

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