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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a grade
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. file — a tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. charge — electricity
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a document
  24. racket — for tennis

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