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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. object — to protest
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — soda
  15. object — an aim
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — a thing
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pop — music

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