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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. game — a match
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — in a race

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