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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wake — a trail
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ball — a great time
  22. season — of the year
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — hurry

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