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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. club — a group
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — a match
  11. club — for golf
  12. game — wild animals
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — in football
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — the season
  18. present — a gift
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — a thrill

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