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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — the cause
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. root — of a word
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. hide — to keep secret

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