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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. game — a match
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — in music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — for paper
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. race — a contest
  10. scale — size or range
  11. race — humankind
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — in sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — a skill
  18. net — after costs
  19. clip — a video
  20. game — wild animals
  21. race — the arms race
  22. clip — to cut
  23. craft — boats
  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