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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of a king
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — completely
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — for sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. root — of a word
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — clever

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