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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pop — to visit
  7. march — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pop — soda
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fork — in a road
  22. march — the month
  23. game — a match
  24. deal — a big deal

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