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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 116 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: racket · bass · stand · mouse · snap · wind · file · cue

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a document
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mouse — for a computer

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