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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: rock · court · wave · pitch · net · can · stem · bear

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. court — of a king
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stem — to come from
  18. court — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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