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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 116 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — a match
  4. board — to get on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. game — wild animals
  10. land — to come down
  11. hand — help
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. land — ground
  16. board — a committee
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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