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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — for golf
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. season — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. club — for dancing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — a trainer

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