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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — low music
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. court — of law
  11. pitch — completely
  12. court — of a king
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ground — a position
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — for sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — the fish

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