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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kick — in football
  24. sharp — with an edge

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