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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. capital — money
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bound — tied together
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. capital — a city
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mug — a face
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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