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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — in a race
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — completely
  18. 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