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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. content — happy
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — for a lock

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