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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: cell · squash · wave · mark · pitch · deal · wake · present

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. present — a gift
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. present — there
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitch — completely
  18. present — the time now
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cell — in biology
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. squash — the sport

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