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

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — in football
  9. cue — for pool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bat — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — a sports field

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