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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 116 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: rock · pitch · wave · bay · face · march · swing · bowl

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — in golf
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. face — part of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. swing — music
  17. march — music
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — a sports field

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