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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. clip — for paper
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. clip — to cut
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — a leader
  9. band — a music group
  10. clip — a video
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cue — a signal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. chair — a professorship
  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