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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: game · clip · stick · racket · pass · foot · suit · shower

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a match
  4. shower — to wash
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. clip — to cut
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — for paper
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. clip — a video
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. foot — part of the body

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