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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · bat · arm · wave · stick · track · ground · land

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pop — soda
  4. land — ground
  5. track — a path
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pop — to visit
  8. track — a song
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — a position
  16. land — to come down
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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