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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · ball · fan · craft · pitch · wave · rash · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — boats
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — a thing
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — to cool the air

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