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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. land — a country
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pop — music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — to come down
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — ground
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — soda
  19. branch — a division
  20. fine — all right
  21. object — to protest
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. object — a thing

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