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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  3. fall — the season
  4. degree — from a university
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — for catching
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mate — a friend
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. club — a group
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — after costs
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. net — in sport
  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