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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · racket · wake · mark · pop · foot · kid · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. foot — a measure
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mark — a trace
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kid — child
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. leaves — to go away

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