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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 · tear · foot · swing · wave · bowl

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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. wave — with your hand
  4. foot — a measure
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tear — to rip
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — music
  18. tear — from crying

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