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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bound — certain
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — all right
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — to cool the air

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