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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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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: cue · wave · pitch · pop · fall · chest · board · ball

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chest — a box
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pop — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fall — the season
  11. cue — for pool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chest — of your body

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