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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — to spend time

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