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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — army training
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mark — a trace
  24. current — happening now

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