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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — a group
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — a match
  9. net — for catching
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for golf
  13. net — in sport
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. club — for dancing
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. coach — a trainer

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