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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: mug · calf · stand · row · trunk · pitch · scale · tear

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stand — to bear
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. scale — in music
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. row — to paddle
  24. tear — from crying

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