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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · present · scale · wave · cap · can · game · stick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — a gift
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. present — there
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — to hurry

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