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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — money
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — an amount
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. row — a line
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — a city
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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