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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.

Make a worksheet

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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — wild animals
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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