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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · saw · wave · field · cue · bulb · lash · pitch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. field — a subject
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a hint
  7. field — for sport
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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