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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bound — certain
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. roll — a list
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — an injury
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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