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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cold — not warm
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — of a king
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. drill — a practice
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of law
  20. cold — an illness
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — for sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — music

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