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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: rest · jam · leaves · mate · mouse · race · racket · rock

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rest — a break
  14. race — humankind
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. race — the arms race
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — music
  24. race — a contest

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