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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 · pound · pitcher · rule · stick

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rule — government
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — a law
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rule — to rule out

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