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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. march — the month
  9. chest — a box
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. swing — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — in golf
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. swing — to play on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. march — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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