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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spell — letters
  21. bat — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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