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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a ring
  4. game — wild animals
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — there
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cue — for pool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. game — a match

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