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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. wind — moving air
  3. firm — decided
  4. row — a line
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. court — of a king
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the sport
  15. firm — a company
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. firm — steady
  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