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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a committee
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. perch — the fish

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