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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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