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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: can · ground · racket · pop · rest · pitch · wind · foot

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rest — a break
  8. pop — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — to turn a key

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