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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — all right
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — a committee
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. file — a document
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. board — to get on
  15. file — a line of people
  16. march — music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. file — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. net — for catching

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