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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: wave · mate · bowl · ball · suit · game · last · pop

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — to go on
  8. pop — soda
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ball — a dance
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a partner
  16. last — final
  17. pop — music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — a match
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pop — to visit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mate — to breed

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