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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: rest · pitch · land · pass · pitcher · deal · straw · mine

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. land — a country
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. land — to come down
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — ground
  24. rest — a break

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