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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spell — magic
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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