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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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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: degree · shower · squash · wave · racket · prune · wake · cue

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. shower — rain
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. prune — to trim
  16. degree — from a university
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — to wash
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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