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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chip — to eat
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — a position
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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