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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: wave · pitch · fan · bark · mouse · ball

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ball — a round shape

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