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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. object — to protest
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a tool
  5. club — a group
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a document
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. craft — a skill
  18. object — a thing
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. object — an aim

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