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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · racket · sharp · foot · board · rest · cap · rush

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — a break
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — a hat
  13. last — finally
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. board — a committee

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