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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. march — the month
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — a container
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. march — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — the underground
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. net — for catching
  24. tube — in a tire

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