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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. land — a country
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hand — in cards
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. land — to come down
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wave — of the sea

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