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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. club — for golf
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — decided
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — steady
  15. pop — soda
  16. last — final
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. firm — a company
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mine — for digging
  24. last — to go on

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