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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. staff — employees
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — a trail
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. court — of a king
  18. cue — a signal
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cue — for pool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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