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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — to be able to
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rash — a series
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. game — a match
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — to come down
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cue — a signal
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. can — a tin

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