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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — a group
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bowl — to roll

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