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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · plane · current · cue · stick · game · leaves · wound

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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