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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — of your body
  8. court — of law
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chest — a box
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. board — to get on
  16. tube — a container
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chest — of your body
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a committee
  22. cue — a hint
  23. court — for sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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