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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cold — not warm

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