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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: pitch · racket · firm · pass · wind · row

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. firm — decided
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. firm — a company
  14. row — a line
  15. pass — a permit
  16. firm — steady
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pass — to spend time

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