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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. club — for dancing
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. row — a line
  10. court — of law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — of a king
  15. club — a group
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — shares
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. club — for golf
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — a permit

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