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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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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — for golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. last — to go on
  13. club — a group
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. last — finally
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. club — for dancing

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