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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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