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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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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: wave · tear · pitch · bowl · fork · swing · drill · rest

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rest — a break
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. drill — army training
  23. tear — to rip
  24. swing — music

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