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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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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: bowl · wave · pit · swing · fine · ground · cue · wind

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fine — all right
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — a position
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. swing — in golf

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