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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.

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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bank — of a river
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mouse — the animal

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