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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for golf
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tube — a container
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rule — government
  19. club — a group
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rule — a law
  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