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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 124 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: game · last · pop · patient · wave · stick · racket · bay

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pop — soda
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a match
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — finally
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — to visit

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