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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — after costs

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