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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. staff — a stick
  6. net — in sport
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wind — moving air
  24. net — for catching

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