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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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468
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — a series
  15. ground — a position
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. march — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — crushed
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — a hint
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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