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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — a match
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — a container

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