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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: cold · ball · pop · racket · can · pit · band · wave

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pop — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. band — a music group
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. band — a ring
  24. racket — a loud noise

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