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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — in football
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kick — with a leg

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