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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hand — help
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rock — music
  19. race — a contest
  20. kid — child
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cue — a hint
  23. race — humankind
  24. hand — part of the body

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