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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. face — to confront
  6. squash — the sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — to crush
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. suit — to fit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for golf
  18. suit — in cards
  19. capital — money
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — a city
  22. club — a group
  23. face — to point toward
  24. squash — the vegetable

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