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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 120 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: wind · pitch · stick · rock · drill · wave

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wind — moving air

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