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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. last — finally
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. court — of law
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a word
  13. last — to go on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. last — final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. track — a song
  23. root — of a plant
  24. track — a path

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