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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stand — to bear
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — the animal

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