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

Word bank: date · stick · rash · racket · bay · object · fork · mug

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rash — a series
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a face
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — to protest
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. date — the fruit

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