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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — low music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — the instrument

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