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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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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: capital · game · cue · lash · wave · bowl · row · fork

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cue — a hint
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. row — a line
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. fork — in a road
  20. capital — a city
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fork — to eat with

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