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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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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: tube · rest · racket · foot · kick · season · stand · pitcher

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — in football
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — a container
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — a break
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — on your feet

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