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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — completely
  9. perch — the fish
  10. swing — music
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. race — a contest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — humankind
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — help
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — in cards
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — with your hand

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