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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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