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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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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: straw · ball · pass · current · wake · wind · mine · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ball — a great time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — of water
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mine — for digging
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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