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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: rock · wave · pit · dip · season · sharp · pop · fan

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pop — soda
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — a hole
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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