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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: bowl · net · tear · deal · squash · calf · pitch · row

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. net — for catching
  6. row — to paddle
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tear — from crying
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — to crush
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. net — in sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. row — a line
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — to rip
  24. net — after costs

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