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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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