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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · cue · calf · land · mug · wave · chest

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pitch — a sports field

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