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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. charge — a price
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — the season
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. charge — in control
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cue — a signal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — completely
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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