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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: pitch · staff · rock · rest · tear · calf

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — from crying
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — to rip
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — completely

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