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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — a hint
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — to protest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. race — the arms race
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — an aim
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cue — for pool
  20. race — humankind
  21. branch — a division
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. prune — the fruit

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