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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — in a road

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