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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 · pitch · rest · wind · race · bowl

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — humankind
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest

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