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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bass — low music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chip — for betting
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — a measure
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — a face
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — the bottom

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