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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
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: pitch · rush · board · root · court · pass · fan · wave

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — of a king
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — of law
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — to get on
  24. pass — to succeed

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