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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — after costs
  7. date — the fruit
  8. net — for catching
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — for pool

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