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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. pop — to visit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. game — a match
  5. club — for golf
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pop — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pop — soda
  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