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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — a container
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — a list
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. roll — a cake
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — to be able to

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