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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — happy
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. date — the fruit
  12. swing — music
  13. band — a music group
  14. content — the amount
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. swing — to play on
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. band — a ring

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