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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
468
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: wave · band · tube · fine · chip · season · court · chest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — all right
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — a container
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — in sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a ring
  13. court — for sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. band — a music group
  18. chest — a box
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — the underground
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. fine — a penalty

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