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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — to keep track
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — a match
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ball — a dance
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pitcher — a jug

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