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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — for pool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. court — for sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cue — a signal

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