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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fine — all right
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. race — humankind
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — army training
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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