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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — the season
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — to come from
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bass — the fish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — a young animal

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