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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.

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: rest · bound · racket · wave · ground · sharp · pitch · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — a break
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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