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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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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: row · wave · bat · net · snap · suit · cue · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to click
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cue — for pool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. net — for catching
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. row — a line
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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