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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — all right
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a partner
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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