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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pop — music
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — clothes
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — of water
  17. cold — an illness
  18. spring — the season
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pop — to visit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pop — soda
  24. suit — to fit

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