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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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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — tied together
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cue — for pool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wind — moving air

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