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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. plane — a tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — a song
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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