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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cue — a signal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. date — on the calendar

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