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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — for sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. can — a tin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. court — of a king
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. court — of law
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. board — a committee

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