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

Word bank: suit · wave · ruler · club · racket · pitcher · face · lean

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. club — a group
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. club — for golf
  8. lean — thin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for dancing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — to confront
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. suit — to fit

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