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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hand — help
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — the time now
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — after costs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. present — there
  17. net — for catching
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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