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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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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: row · wake · tear · pitch · land · wave · suit · object

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — an aim
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. land — ground
  9. tear — to rip
  10. suit — clothes
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tear — from crying
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. row — a line

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