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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — of law
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. court — for sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — of a king
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. march — music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. racket — a loud noise

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