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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. game — a match
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitch — completely
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. swing — music
  12. toast — bread
  13. current — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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