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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. foot — a measure
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — the bottom

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