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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 120 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: court · wound · wave · root · bay · cue · pass · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pass — a permit
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. court — of law
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cue — a hint
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wound — an injury

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