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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. field — farmland
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — a container
  16. field — a subject
  17. swing — to play on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wind — moving 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