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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: racket · present · chest · court · arm · pound · cue · wave

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. present — there
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — for sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — a gift
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — the time now
  21. chest — a box
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — with your hand

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