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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitch — completely
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. club — a group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. club — for dancing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. season — in sport
  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