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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. march — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. march — the month
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stand — for spectators

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