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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. firm — decided
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. firm — steady
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. firm — a company
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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