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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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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: cap · pass · kid · racket · bay · wave · rock · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kid — child
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — to spend time

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