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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. club — for golf
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. band — a ring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — to come down
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — a match
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. land — a country
  20. club — a group
  21. band — a music group
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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