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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: racket · court · lash · stick · bat · coach · wave · scale

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. court — for sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — size or range
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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