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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — to visit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. key — in music
  20. swing — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pop — soda
  23. cue — a signal
  24. key — the most important part

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