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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: bay · kick · wave · present · fan · cue · chair · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — there
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — in football

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