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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ground — a position
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — of water
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ground — crushed
  17. current — electric
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — wild animals
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. date — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — happening now
  24. date — on the calendar

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