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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cue — a signal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. field — farmland
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. mine — for digging
  24. racket — a loud noise

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