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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: roll · spell · saw · row · deal · rash · bore · pitch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a line
  4. spell — magic
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to tire
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. row — to paddle
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. rash — a series
  22. saw — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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