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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. track — a path
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — a position
  21. stock — goods
  22. track — to keep track
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitch — a sports field

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