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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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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: dip · wake · wave · patient · deal · pitcher · file · court

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. file — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — of a king
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a line of people
  24. court — of law

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