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

Word bank: wave · cap · saw · racket · present · club · mine · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. present — there
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cap — of ice
  15. club — for golf
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — the time now
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. present — a gift

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