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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. race — humankind
  9. spell — magic
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — to get on
  12. pit — a hole
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. race — a contest
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — to play on
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pit — in a race

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