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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bass — low music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. band — a music group
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a ring
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bore — to tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the fish

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