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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — a company
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. present — the time now
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. present — there
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. club — a group
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. club — for dancing

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