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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: bay · tear · calf · pitch · season · pop · bore · bowl

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. season — in sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tear — to rip
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bay — a horse colour

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