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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bass — low music
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — completely
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. date — the fruit
  17. root — of a word
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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