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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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a great time
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — the time now
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. present — there
  16. pound — a weight
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a dance

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