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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a great time
  3. club — for golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wound — an injury
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. land — ground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — to come down
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a dance
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — a country

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