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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — completely
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — shares
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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