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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — all right
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. pitch — completely

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