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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. season — of the year
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — a face
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — to shout

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