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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — of water
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. current — happening now
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cold — an illness

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