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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — the season
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — a weight
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a document
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — for pool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cue — a hint

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