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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 116 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: race · pitcher · pitch · wave · row · pit · wind · current

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. race — humankind
  9. row — a line
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — happening now
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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