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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: track · calf · lie · rule · land · pitch · bear · pit

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. pit — in a race
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — a country
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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