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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — soda
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pop — music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mate — a friend
  17. court — of law
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — low music
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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