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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · pound · deal · wave · pitch · content

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. staff — a stick
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. pound — to hit hard

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