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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. track — a song
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spring — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — magic
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — in control
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. spring — a coil
  23. charge — electricity
  24. row — a line

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