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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — a container
  5. band — a music group
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — an aim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. object — a thing
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hand — in cards
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — help
  24. object — to protest

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