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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. game — a match
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. march — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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