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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. can — to be able to
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — a tin

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