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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chest — a box
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stock — shares
  20. chest — of your body
  21. roll — a list
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. roll — a cake

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