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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wave — with your hand

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