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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. court — of law
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — a contest
  12. court — of a king
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. race — the arms race
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. court — for sport

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