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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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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: wave · ground · deal · pitcher · club · pit · cell · lean

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lean — thin
  6. ground — a position
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ground — crushed
  12. club — for golf
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lean — to bend
  19. club — for dancing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. club — a group
  24. deal — to handle

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