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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: wake · pitch · ruler · wave · bank · stem · ball · last

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — final
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — of a river
  19. last — finally
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — to go on
  24. pitch — completely

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