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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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468
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. ground — a position
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitch — completely
  24. suit — to fit

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