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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: row · calf · game · fall · pitch · rush · mouse · ball

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. game — a match
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a great time
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mouse — the animal

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