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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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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 · ball · firm · rush · wave · bat · rest · cap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cap — a hat
  6. firm — steady
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — a group
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rest — what's left
  23. club — for golf
  24. bat — for baseball

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