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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: net · rule · pitch · stem · club · wave · fine · content

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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 — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — all right
  10. rule — government
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — in sport
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  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