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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — to breed
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — a group
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — happy
  19. swing — to play on
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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