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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. court — of a king
  6. season — of the year
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — a match
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — of law
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — for sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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