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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ball — a dance
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — there
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. present — a gift

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