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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. band — a music group
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — in music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. swing — to play on
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — music
  21. spring — of water
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. bowl — a dish

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