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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. firm — decided
  24. fine — all right

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