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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. present — a gift
  4. rash — hasty
  5. present — there
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. present — the time now
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mark — a trace
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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