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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · last · wave · stand · game · pit · saw · squash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. squash — to crush
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — the sport
  21. last — final
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — to go on
  24. club — a group

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