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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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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. race — the arms race
  3. last — final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bass — the fish
  8. race — a contest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. last — to go on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. race — humankind
  24. last — finally

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