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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rest — a break
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — there
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — the time now
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — to come from
  24. present — a gift

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