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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ball — a great time
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — a match
  12. pop — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a committee
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — to get on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ball — a dance

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