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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spring — a coil
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — a line
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spring — the season
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spring — of water
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pass — to spend time

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