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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 120 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: ground · row · pitcher · court · pitch · wind · dip · bay

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitch — completely
  16. court — of law
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. court — of a king
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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