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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — for a lock
  4. row — a line
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — to tire
  21. key — in music
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to drill

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