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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — the season
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — soda
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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