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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. board — to get on
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. scale — in music
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mine — for digging
  12. board — a committee
  13. scale — size or range
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — exactly

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