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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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 — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. last — to go on
  10. squash — to crush
  11. last — final
  12. snap — to click
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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