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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wake — before a funeral

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