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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — a lid
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mug — a face
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mug — a cup

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