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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — in football
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — high quality
  16. branch — a division
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — employees
  24. branch — of a tree

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