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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a great time
  4. last — to go on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — to protest
  20. staff — employees
  21. last — final
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — after costs
  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