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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: stick · land · bulb · pitch · hide · staff · content · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — happy
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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