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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: prune · wave · wake · racket · drill · bay · pit · mug

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mug — a cup
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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