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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cap — of ice

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