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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: court · lean · deal · wave · coach · pitcher · bat · wake

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lean — thin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bat — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — to bend
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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