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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — to come down
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — a skill
  12. game — a match
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. roll — a list
  24. land — a country

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