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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — all right
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. perch — the fish
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spring — the season
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — the sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. spring — of water
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spring — a coil
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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