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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cell — a phone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ground — crushed
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. net — for catching
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. net — after costs
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. foot — a measure

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