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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — low music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. staff — employees
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — to bear
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — certain
  24. clip — a video

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