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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. toast — bread
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. spell — a short time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — to be able to

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