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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. net — for catching
  4. cap — a hat
  5. last — finally
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. march — the month
  9. net — after costs
  10. march — music
  11. last — final
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. net — in sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. last — to go on

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