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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: pop · hand · bear · ruler · wake · racket · cue · chest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chest — a box
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pop — soda
  24. cue — a signal

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