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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 124 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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468
Word bank
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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. spring — the season
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — boats
  9. spring — a coil
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kick — in football
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — a skill
  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