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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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