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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ground — a position
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rule — government
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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