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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: stick · ground · mate · club · racket · arm · can · snap

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — a friend
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — to be able to
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to click

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