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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pound — a weight
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — in sport
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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