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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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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. clip — a video
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — the underground
  18. clip — for paper
  19. toast — bread
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. clip — to cut
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — of the sea

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