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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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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: wound · can · cue · present · bowl · kid · racket · wake

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — a gift
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. present — there
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — child
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a signal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cue — a hint
  24. present — the time now

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