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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: mug · racket · ball · nail · bat · season · staff · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. season — of the year
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mug — a face
  24. staff — employees

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