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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pop — soda
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — of the year
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stand — for spectators

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