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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. wake — a trail
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stock — goods
  7. spell — magic
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — a measure
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — in music
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — clever
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stock — a soup base
  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