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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. spring — a coil
  3. band — a music group
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spring — of water
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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