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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. craft — boats
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. charge — in control
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fine — all right
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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