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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — in music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — certain
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. dip — to dunk

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