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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fine — all right
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — an aim
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — to protest
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — high quality

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