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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. degree — an amount
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — in football
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. degree — temperature
  24. racket — for tennis

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