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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a document
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — for digging
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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