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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. band — a ring
  3. club — for golf
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spring — of water
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spring — a coil
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wave — with your hand

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