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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: pitch · row · wake · shower · stick · season · ground · ruler

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ground — a position
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — crushed
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. season — of the year

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