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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: cabinet · bear · club · wave · pitch · toast · game · rash

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rash — a series
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — a match
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. club — for dancing
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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