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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — a face
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mug — a cup
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. game — a match

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