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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.

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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. court — for sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — in sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. court — of a king
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — of law
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitch — completely
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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