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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. spring — a coil
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spring — the season
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. track — a song
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a ring
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — in sport
  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