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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. roll — a list
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — steady
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — for dancing
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — for golf
  23. firm — a company
  24. cue — a hint

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