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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · racket · present · squash · pop · leaves · club · pit

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. present — there
  4. game — a match
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. present — the time now
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — music
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. game — wild animals
  21. club — for dancing
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — a kind of play

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