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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — in cards
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. club — a group

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