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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. band — a ring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. file — a document
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pit — a hole

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