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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mug — a face
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mug — to rob
  20. content — happy
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. content — the amount
  24. pound — a weight

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