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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a signal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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