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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. capital — money
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. capital — a city
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. face — to point toward

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