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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. net — in sport

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