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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: dip · snap · pound · net · cell · cue · rest · racket

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cell — in biology
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — a phone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. net — in sport
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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