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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · kick · wave · vault · pop · season · bat · pitch

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — of water
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pop — music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bat — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — soda

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